Indonesians go to the polls today to directly elect their president for the first time, with a respected former general leading the race to take over a troubled country in the front line of the war on terror.

But if opinion survey leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a former chief security minister, fails to get an outright majority today over incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri and other contenders, he will need to win a run-off in September.

The election follows a messy transition to democracy in the world?s most populous Muslim nation since strongman Suharto quit in 1998, a six-year period marred by political chaos, economic crisis and bomb attacks by Islamic militants linked to al Qaeda.

In a broadcast, yesterday, Megawati urged all candidates and their supporters to ensure the election process was peaceful.

?If we can succeed in passing through these difficult times calmly and peacefully, it is not impossible that our success can be seen as a model for other nations which are currently going through transition to democracy,? she said.

<B>More than 150 million people can vote</B>

Megawati, one of five presidential aspirants, achieved a measure of stability during her four-year term but has been criticised for not promoting better economic growth and fighting corruption vigorously enough.

Many Indonesians hope opinion poll front-runner Yudhoyono, a 54-year-old, US-educated general, will put their unwieldy resource-rich country on a firmer footing, create the jobs they crave and stamp out the pervasive graft they despise.

?The direct election of the president puts the capstone on the creation of a genuine presidential democracy. It?s a huge event,? said William Liddle, a leading expert on Indonesia from Ohio State University who is observing the polls.

More than 150 million people are eligible to vote across Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands. The election involves five million workers and more than 585,000 polling stations, with ballots delivered to remote villages by means ranging from four-wheel drive SUVs, foot and donkeys.

In the eastern-most province of Papua yesterday, several men carried ballot boxes on their shoulders heading for the hilltop villages that surround the town of Wamena, 3,500 km from Jakarta.

At the opposite end of the country in Aceh province, site of a simmering separatist rebellion, police toting automatic weapons helped set up the voting booths.

Most opinion polls show Yudhoyono, who has promised firmer leadership and more jobs, winning 40-45 percent of the vote, way ahead of Megawati, ex-military chief Wiranto and Muslim leader Amien Rais. The fifth candidate, incumbent Vice President Hamzah Haz, has polled almost no support.

In a new poll released on Friday, the Indonesia Survey Institute said it was unlikely Yudhoyono would win an outright majority on today.

Hundreds of foreign observers, including former US President Jimmy Carter, are on hand to help insure the process is reasonably free and fair.

Some efforts to buy votes or stuff the ballot boxes are considered inevitable in a country where corruption at every level is rife.

<B>Bills given to people</B>

?We know that bills of 20,000, 50,000 to 100,000 rupiah ($11) have been given away to people. This is outrageous, but it?s difficult for us to blame the people because they are poor,? Rais, considered one of the cleaner candidates, said on yesterday.

Indonesia?s election commission has predicted a result could be known within 10 days, but a group of non-governmental bodies hopes to release projections within hours of today?s vote.

FInancial markets have gained some ground in recent days as the campaign period ended without violence. Investors would not welcome a run-off vote that would prolong uncertainties that have hung over the markets most of this year, and regardless of a run-off, neither a new Parliament chosen in April nor the presidential winner will take office until October.

<B>Achmad SUKARSONO & Jerry NORTON</B>

KEY FACTS

<B>Indonesia, the largest muslim country</B>

? POPULATION: 220 million, making it the world?s fourth most populous country after China, India and the United States.

? RELIGION: Islam is the main religion with around 85 percent of the population. There are more Muslims in Indonesia than in any other country. Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists,

Hindus and animists make up most of the rest. Bahasa Indonesia, similar to Malay, is the official language.

? AREA: 1,919,270 sq km spread over 17,508 islands, of which 6,000 are inhabited. Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines lie to the north, Papua New Guinea to the east, Australia to the south and southeast.

? CAPITAL: Jakarta (population 12 million).

? ECONOMY: Southeast Asia?s largest economy grew 4.1 percent last year. The economy was devastated by the financial crisis that swept the region from 1997 and is still feeling the effects.

? HISTORY: Declared independence in 1945 after an almost uninterrupted 350 years under Dutch rule. The first president, Sukarno, was replaced in 1967 by Suharto, then an army general.

On May 21, 1998, Suharto was toppled after more than three decades in power. His rule was brought to an end by mass student protests, the economic crisis and deadly riots in Jakarta which killed about 1,200 people.

He was replaced as president by B.J. Habibie, then vice-president, who promised sweeping economic and political reforms to usher in a more democratic society.

Megawati Sukarnoputri became president in mid-2001, replacing Abdurrahman Wahid, who was kicked out for incompetence.

The taciturn Megawati?s period in office has been dominated by a return to relative political stability and stronger financial markets, but also the 2002 Bali bombings as well as the global war on terror. The United States and others initially accused Indonesia of dragging its feet in tackling Islamic militancy.

Megawati has walked a tightrope between supporting the US war on terror and fear of antagonising Muslims.